Apparatus for protecting the audience parts of rooms.



NO. 774,002. PATENTED NOV. 1, 1904. B. A; STEVENS. APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING THE AUDIENCE PARTS OF ROOMS.

APPLICATION FILED 1'33. 15, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

A WITJV'ESSES. INVEJVTOR. FQAQM X Jam Attorneys.

UNITED STATES Patented Novem'berEl, 1904.

PATENT @EEicE.

BENJAMIN A. STEVENS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,002, dated November 1, 1904.

Application filed February 15, 1904. Serial No. 193,552. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN A. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at T0- ledo, county of Lucas, State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Protecting the Audience Part of a Room; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,- which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for protecting the audience part of a room from fire.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a theater having an apparatus embodying my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-section, to an enlarged scale, on line 3 3 of Fig 2.

The invention is shown as applied to a theater, but may be applied with equal advantage to any room in which it is intended audiences shall assemble.

A is the auditorium.

B represents the stage-room.

C is a large flue, which may be of metal, brick, tile, 860., its lower end being at the top of the stage-room and its upper end extending upward to, say, a distance of thirty or forty feet and opening into the outer air. The lower end of the flue C is open, except for a grating G, covered with an inflammable tissue g, which may be of paper impregnated with saltpeter or other inflammable material, the same serving to close the lower end of the flue C.

D is a roof, the upper end of the flueC serving to exclude rain and snow, while leaving an opening (Z between the upper end of said flue and said roof.

E is a small flue concentric with the flue C, open at its upper and lower ends.

F F F are cartridges or masses of inflammable material located at intervals in the flue E and connected together by fuses ff. The material of the cartridges F is so arranged that they shall leave a passage through them for air ascending the flue E. These cartridges may be made of textile material impregnated with inflammable material and wound in spiral coils, as indicated in Fig. 2.

f represents fuse ends extending out of the lower end of the flue E and communicating with the lower cartridge F. There is also apparatus T, thus closing the contact and producing the spark to ignite the material g or in any other convenient way which will be readily supplied by those conversant with the art. 'When the inflammable material in the flues C E is thus automatically ignited by means of the fire upon the stage, the material g F F F F burns rapidly, suddenly heating the air in said lines and creating a strong draft up the lines, thus preventing the fire or flame from extending to the auditorium of the theater. It will be observed that the material g is rapidly consumed at the commencement of the operation, leaving the lower end of the flue (1 open, except for the grating G.

In place of cartridges or other material to be suddenly ignited in the event of a fire it, in many cases, will be sufficient to place in the flue a constantly-burning fire like a jet of gas, which will cause a constant updraft through the flue of a small portion of the air therein. In order to shield the occupants of the room below from the draft, the lower end of the flue is covered with some light easily-destroyed material, such as the impregnated paper spoken of, and means may be furnished for .either mechanically or automatically exposthus at once obtain a free entrance into the l means for igniting said material at the com passage, in which there is already an ascending current of air that will initiate an updraft from the entire chamber. The accidental destruction of the guard at other times than those when its destruction will be desired I Will not be followed by any injurious consequenees beyond those attendant upon the re placing of it, and in case of a dangerous fire underneath it it may at once be destroyed by an attendant, or if not so destroyed will very soon be destroyed by the heated air of the fire below it.

hat I claim is- 1. In an auditorium, a flue leading therefrom, and means for giving rise to a draft in said flue at the commencement of the fire.

2. In an auditorium, a flue leading therefrom, combustible material arranged to heat the air in said flue, and means for igniting said material at the commencement of a fire.

3. In an auditorium, a flue leading therefrom, means for closing the passage through said flue, said closing means being arranged to be removed at the commencement of a fire.

a. In an auditorium, a flue leading therefrom, means made of combustible material for closing the passage through said flue, and

menccment of a lire.

5. In an auditorium, a flue leading therefrom, a second flue within the first-named flue, combustible material in said last-named flue, and means for igniting said combustible material at the commencement of a fire.

6. In an auditorium, a flue leading therefrom, a second flue within the first-named flue, combustible material in said last-named flue, and means for igniting said combustible material at the commencement of a lire, means for closing the first-named flue, arranged to be removed to open said flue when ignition takes place.

7 In an auditorium, a flue leading therefrom, a second flue within the first-named flue, means in the inner fine for heating the tines, means for closing the lire-draft flue arranged l to be removed to open said flue, and means for opening the outer flue at the commenee ment of a tire.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN A. STEVENS. Witnesses:

(Jruo. E. B11313, BURT T. Hum. 

